freenovelworld Chapter 741 The Prince of Chang Le's Worries!
Chapter 741 The Prince of Chang Le's Worries!
The battle for Xingzhou is becoming increasingly fierce.
The two sides have been locked in a stalemate here for nearly a month.
The enemy never had a chance to break through Xingzhou Pass, and the Dayong side was never able to repel them with all its might.
Duanmu Chuze wasn't in a hurry.
After fighting against the third prince, Koli, he had a general understanding of his abilities.
Duanmu Chuze wasn't without a way to directly defeat his opponent, but he felt the timing was wrong and inappropriate.
For more than ten days, seeing Ming Wang's increasingly furrowed brows, Duanmu Chuze understood that this was a good opportunity for him to see clearly who their enemy really was.
Although Duanmu Chuze disliked Duanmu Chen, he would never consider joining forces with outsiders to kill Duanmu Chen, after all, he was still his nephew.
Moreover, he always felt that although Keli had a considerable number of troops, the Turkic king did not seem to have relinquished all power to him.
Duanmu Chuze had fought against the Turkic king and knew his character. He believed that the king was not the kind of ruler who could easily delegate power.
However, the fact that he dared to rely on Prince Colli so heavily indicates that he probably values this prince very much.
Through so many encounters, he could clearly sense that Keli had a strategist by his side who carried considerable weight, always able to order a retreat at crucial moments.
Duanmu Chuze had a vague feeling that these people gathered here not only to conquer Xingzhou.
Such delaying tactics seem more like a deliberate attempt to distract them. Could it be that the Turks really wanted to attack Xingzhou?
However, with so many troops here, it would be clearly insufficient for them to attack other cities.
So, what exactly is the other party thinking?
That evening, Duanmu Chuze pondered the map for a long time but couldn't find an answer.
He then turned to look at a sand table in the center, constantly changing the flags, his eyes sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
Looking at her master's appearance, Zi Yi understood that her master must have encountered a problem.
But in the current battle, it is clear that their side has the upper hand, so what is there for the master to be upset about?
"Your Highness, Prince Ming has arrived."
Duanmu Chuze simply waved his hand, and soon, Ming Wang strode in. "Fourth brother, is there something wrong with this setup? I heard that you haven't had dinner yet."
Duanmu Chuze shook his head, his eyes never leaving the sand table.
"I always felt that their intentions were somewhat ambiguous; they didn't seem to really want to attack the city. This can be seen from the casualties on both sides in these recent battles. They just want to surround this place, but they won't fight with all their might. I really can't understand what they're trying to do?"
"Fourth brother, this Keli has brought 300,000 troops. If he's just here to stall us, wouldn't that be a waste?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I can't understand. Or perhaps, the previous times were all intentional?"
King Ming frowned. "Very likely. They always seem to be engaging in small-scale skirmishes, thus lowering our guard before looking for a suitable opportunity to launch a full-scale attack!"
Duanmu Chuze remained silent, his tightly furrowed brows indicating that he too was somewhat conflicted.
"Zi Yi, relay my order: everyone must be on high alert and not let their guard down. Also, pay attention to any activity within Xingzhou City."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Ming King was startled. "Fourth Brother, what do you mean by this?"
"Second Brother, Keli has come prepared this time. There are quite a few foreigners in Xingzhou City. Although we can't be sure they are all Turks, we can't guarantee they won't secretly join forces. If they launch a full-scale attack on the city, and chaos breaks out in Xingzhou City, Second Brother, do you think we can still hold Xingzhou City?"
King Ming's expression changed drastically, clearly realizing the seriousness of the situation.
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"Second brother, this is your territory. First, have someone keep an eye on some suspicious people. For example, the leaders of certain small tribes, and those people who are usually very prestigious among the people. Keep a close eye on them. Once any unusual activity is detected, arrest them immediately."
"Very well, I will take care of it immediately."
"Second Brother, wait a moment. I'm just worried right now, and it might not be true. So, make sure your men are outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. Don't let the people panic and become too disoriented."
"Rest assured, I understand. I'll leave the matters within the city to you, brother. I'll leave things here to you."
Duanmu Chuze chuckled and patted Ming Wang on the shoulder. "Second Brother, you're too kind. We're all brothers. If Xingzhou Pass falls, we won't fare well either. Naturally, we must do everything in our power to annihilate the enemy."
"Alright! Then Second Brother, have someone keep an eye on these aliens. Also, make sure all other checkpoints are searched more thoroughly."
"Yes, that's how it should be. Thank you for your hard work, Second Brother."
Two days later, just as Duanmu Chuze had predicted, Keli's men suddenly launched a major attack on the city. This time, they even brought over four catapults specifically to deal with their defenses inside the city walls.
Duanmu Chuze stood atop the city wall, watching the current offensive, his brows gently relaxing.
"Zi Yi, give Fu Hongyang the signal. He can take action now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The siege was reaching a tense moment, and it seemed that the Turks were about to gain the upper hand, which made Chu Rong somewhat anxious.
But at that very moment, a raging fire seemed to have broken out behind the Turks, and within a quarter of an hour, flames soared into the sky.
Soon, they heard the enemy sound the retreat.
Chu Rong was puzzled until the enemy troops had all retreated. Then he suddenly remembered that the prince had ordered 20,000 troops to be transferred from their hands.
Could it be that the prince sent them to do this?
But the city gates of Xingzhou were never opened. How did they get through?
Seemingly seeing through Chu Rong's thoughts, Duanmu Chuze said lightly, "Detouring through Qiguan is naturally not a difficult task. Otherwise, why do you think I would have General Yu swiftly wipe out those scattered soldiers outside Qishan?"
"Your Highness, if that's the case, then..."
Chu Rong immediately understood, "The prince hadn't dealt a heavy blow to the other party before, precisely because he was waiting for such an opportunity?"
“Indeed! If they can’t launch a full-scale attack and mobilize their army, our people will naturally not have that opportunity. The Turks are different from us; their supplies are already tight. I want to see how long they can hold out here after losing their supplies.”
Duanmu Chuze sneered, raising his eyes to look at the fiery red sky, his eyes filled with murderous intent.